We had heavy rain every night; the current became stronger, and the river rapidly rose.
We went next day to visit the caves whence they get the edible birds’-nests. We pulled down in the steamer’s cutter for about a mile, and then up a narrow stream, till we could force her along no farther. We now landed to walk the rest of the way. Among our party were some who had not been accustomed to forest work, and they came arrayed in uniform and patent leather boots, thinking there was a dry and open road. Their surprise was great and not agreeable when they found muddy ground and the bed of a mountain torrent had to be traversed. Our guide struck into the stream directly, and our party broke up, some following him, while others sought a dryer way. From the stream we entered a thick wood of young trees; then again across the stream, up the bed of a mountain torrent, now partly dry; steep, slippery stones, some overgrown with moss, others worn to a smooth surface; up again, climbing the hill, over fallen trees, down deep ravines, across little streams, jumping from rock to rock, until after an hour’s hard work we arrived at a little house on the top of a hill—the neatest little house imaginable, walls and floor of well-trimmed planks, and roof of bright red shingle; it was perfectly new, and was the residence of the guardian of the cave.
I looked vainly about me for the entrance, and on asking, they pointed to a deep gully, but I could see nothing but bushes and grass; but on descending a short distance, I saw the bottom of the gully suddenly divide, leaving a rocky chasm some thirty feet in depth. A slight framework of iron-wood enabled us to get down over the slippery rocks, and we soon saw that the cave extended back under the little house, and looked gloomy and deep. Our guide now lit a large wax taper, very inferior for this purpose to the torches used by the Land Dayaks in Sarawak, and led the way. The cave gradually enlarged, but by the imperfect light we could only distinguish masses of uneven rock on either side. As we advanced towards those parts where the finest white nests are found, the ground became covered many feet deep with the guano of the swallow, which emitted scarcely any smell. We advanced nearly two hundred yards without seeing a single nest, Siñgauding’s men having completely cleared the cave the day before: it was very vexing, as we desired to see the nests as they were fixed to the rocks. The cave gradually became narrower and lower, but we continued our advance till we were stopped by its termination in this direction. Our guides observing our disappointment in not finding any nests, told us that there were a few in another branch. So we retraced our steps till we reached a passage on our left, and presently arrived at a spot where we descended abruptly some twelve feet; it was pitch dark, as the guide had gone rapidly ahead. On reaching the bottom, I put my foot cautiously down, and could find nothing: the passage being very narrow I was enabled to support myself with my hands on either side while feeling with my feet for standing ground. There was none in front, but on either edge there was just resting room for the foot; so this chasm was passed in safety. I shouted out to my companions to take care, and the guide returning, we examined what we had escaped: it was a black hole, into which we threw stones, and calculating the number of seconds they took in reaching the first obstruction, we found it about three hundred feet deep. The stones bounded on the rocks below, and we could hear them strike and strike again, till they either reached the bottom, or till the sound was lost in the distance.
We then advanced to a large hall, apparently supported in the middle by a massive pillar, which was in fact but a huge stalactite. From above fell a continued shower of cold water, which doubtless was the cause of those innumerable stalactites that adorned the roof.
We continued advancing for about seventy or eighty yards farther, the cave getting narrower and narrower till two could not move abreast. Except where the guano lay, the walking was difficult, as the rocks were wet and excessively slippery, and open chasms were not rare. In the farther end we were shown the places where the best nests were obtained: the dryest portion of the sides of the cave are chosen by the birds, and these appeared seldom to occur—I found but one inferior nest remaining. Disturbed by our movements and by yesterday’s havoc, the swallows were in great commotion, and flew round and round, and darted so near our solitary light that we were in great fear for its existence.
The natives say that in these caves there are two species of birds—the one that builds the edible nest, and another that takes up its quarters near the entrance, and disturbs, and even attacks the more valuable tenants. The Kayans endeavour to destroy these, and while we were there knocked down some nests constructed of moss, and adhering to the rock by a glutinous but coarse substance. The fine edible one looks like pure isinglass, with some amount of roughness on its surface. The best I have seen are four inches round the upper edge, and appear like a portion of a whitish cup stuck against a wall.
On examining the construction of the mountain, one’s first impression is, that all these huge rocks were thrown in heaps together; but, doubtless, water is the agent in forming these caves and the deep fissures that penetrate to the water-line in these limestone mountains.
I believe the guides took us to the smallest cave, as I am sure, from the produce of the district, that there must be many more better adapted for the swallows, or else that they must be very numerous. In fact, the guides told us that Siñgauding had several others, and that Tamawan in right of his wife had the best. As they showed no inclination to take us to the uncleared caves, we did not press them.
The person who is employed to guard this place is a singular-looking old man; they say they captured him in the distant mountains during one of their expeditions. He speaks a language unknown to them, but is now learning a little Kayan; he looks very contented, and has certainly the neatest house I have seen in Borneo for his dwelling.
On our return it rained a little, and we had, in many places, to sit and slide down the slippery rocks; we all looked, on our return from our expedition, in a very different condition from that in which we started.